Kansas Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins and other officials toured the Guantanamo Bay detention center last week.
Jenkins led a group of local leaders from Leavenworth to the American naval base in Cuba to get more information, which could be used in a legal challenge against moving detainees to the United States. Fort Leavenworth is one possible destination for detainees if they’re moved to the mainland. Jenkins says local officials could fight that potential transfer by citing the lack of necessary infrastructure at Fort Leavenworth, such as a medical facility.
“It would be quite a burden to take on another health facility in that county just to take care of the detainee population,” Jenkins says.
A report earlier this month said President Obama would not use executive action to close the facility, but Jenkins says the president could still attempt to transfer detainees out of GITMO. Obama says the controversial detention center is used as a recruiting tool for terrorist groups.
